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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

November 2016 in Review

Good morning and happy holidays! I hope all NaNoWriMo-ers are either satisfied with their work or will be by the end of the day. November was a tough month for many of us, which exponentially increases my respect for anyone who managed to produce 50,000 words in the past 30 days. Personally, I've been keeping busy with school projects, trying to become more involved in political activism, and (as always) managing to read some quality literature. Here are the highlights from my reading and my life this month.

highlight from my reading list

If you're out of the loop on this book, like I was for an embarrassingly long time, allow me to catch you up: Carry On is essentially fanfiction for the super-popular, Harry Potter-esque series featured in Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. So, by extension, it's essentially professionally written and edited Harry Potter fanfiction. The similarities between Watford and Hogwarts are amusing and comforting, but Carry On is original and well-developed enough to stand entirely on its own as well.

And best of all, the character analogous to Harry and the character analogous to Draco are roommates—and their painfully slow-burn rivalry-turned-romance is excellent. Carry On is an absolute must-read for people who, like me, are supporters of the Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter ship.

highlight from my tbr

Set in 1750s England and spotlighting a boy who sets out to clear the name of his father (who's convicted of theft and sentenced to transportation to the colonies in America), this book sounds right up my alley. I haven't read any of the author's previous works, but based on the synopsis, which promises themes of "race, class, family, and corruption so deep it can kill," I have high expectations. This one should be atmospheric, thrilling, and oh-so absorbing.

highlights from my life

I traveled to Cincinnati and Louisville with my intro to business administration class. I live in Indianapolis, so earlier this month we all loaded on a charter bus and took a two-day road trip to nearby metropolises. We visited P&G's corporate headquarters, GE Appliance Park, Churchill Downs, and more (and my favorite part was probably getting to glimpse prototypes of GE appliances that may be on the market five to ten years from now).

I voted in my first United States presidential election. I'd been looking forward to November 8, 2016 ever since I learned about the concept of voting as a child. Needless to say, the day didn't end how eight-year-old me imagined or how 18-year-old me hoped. Ever since, I've been working on overcoming my fear of phone calls and telephoning my representatives—because I'm clearly going to be placing regular calls over the next four years.

In happier news, I saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! I was lucky enough to attend a pre-screening because my friend won tickets from a radio station, and I loved every minute of it. The story exceeded my expectations in terms of capturing the magic of Harry Potter, dropped hints about the origins and backstory of certain familiar characters, and features a cast I want to befriend. Go watch it ASAP if you have yet to do so.

Fantastic Beasts was so good. The score was A+, the Hogwarts references so well-done, the 1920s NY setting so magically built. Get excited.✨ pic.twitter.com/PSeICNJliw

How was your November (presidential election news aside)? And if you're from the U.S. (or even if you're not), how have you been dealing with current events? Here's to hoping December brings better news.

2 comments:

Oh gosh, I've been quite depressed by the election results but I'm starting to feel a bit better overall. That's so cool all the places you got to visit in Cincinnati. I know someone who works at P&G as I live right outside the city. :)

I really loved Fantastic Beasts as well! That's awesome you were able to see an early screening.